People spend half their waking hours daydreaming Adapted from BBC News 02/11/2010 BBC MMX

Transcription

1 People spend nearly half of their waking hours not thinking about what they are actually doing, according to a US study conducted via the iphone More than 2,200 volunteers downloaded an app which then surveyed them about their thoughts and mood at random times of day and night. The Science study suggested minds wander, even from demanding tasks, at least 30% of the time. A UK expert said other studies confirm people were easily distracted. The iphone was a novel research tool for researchers at Harvard University. Participents agreed to be contacted, at which point they selected what they were doing from a menu, whether they were actually thinking about it, and how happy or sad they felt. Remarkably, some participants were prepared to answer the survey even when making love. While their study sample was composed entirely of people who owned the device, and were prepared to download and be disturbed by an app of this kind, the researchers said it provides an insight into how our minds can wander during the day. After gathering 250,000 survey results, the Harvard team concluded that this group of people spent 46.9% of their time awake with their minds wandering. Dr Matthew Killingsworth, one of the researchers, said: "Mind-wandering appears ubiquitous across all activaties. This study shows that our mental lives are pervaded, to a remarkable degre, by the non-present." Happiness In addition, the survey data on happiness appeared to show a modest connection between the degree of mind-wandering and the level of happiness. People who were most distracted away from the task in hand were more likely to report feelings of unhappiness. Reports of happiness were most likely among those exercising, having a conversation or making love, whereas unhappiness was reported most while people were resting, working, or using computers. Dr Killingsworth said: "Mind-wandering is an excelent predictor of people's happiness." However, whether mind-wandering is the cause, or the result of unhappiness is still not proven by the research. Professor Nilli Lavie, from the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience at University College London, said that while any attempt to try to measure the wandering mind was "heroic", the results of the study might be rendered less reliable by the type of participant it attracted. She said: "Mind-wandering may simply be ubiquitous in the type of person who is engaging in this type of iphone application, and who is prepared to be distracted from whatever they are doing in this way." However, she said that her own laborotory research had found similar or even higher levels of mind-wandering among subjects given less demanding tasks to complete. December Kindly contributed by Dave Norgate, Bromley Adult Education College. Search for Dave on skillsworkshop.org Page 1 of 5

2 A. Read the text and then answer the questions 1. How was the survey undertaken? 2. According to the survey for what percentage of time do I minds wander? 3. Why might the survey be considered to be unrepresentative? 4. When were people most likely to report that they were happy? 5. Does the survey tell us whether the unhappiness is caused by mindwandering? 6. According to Nilli Lavie when might a person show higher levels of mind wandering? 7. At which university was the research carried out? December Kindly contributed by Dave Norgate, Bromley Adult Education College. Search for Dave on skillsworkshop.org Page 2 of 5

3 B. Look at the words in the text that are in bold. They are listed on the left below. Now match them with a word on the right that can replace them in the text. For example random can be replaced by arbitrary random arbitrary distracted seemingly everywhere predictor sidetracked insight saturated pervaded forecast ubiquitous indication C. There are 5 spelling mistakes in the text. Underline the mistakes and then correct them below. December Kindly contributed by Dave Norgate, Bromley Adult Education College. Search for Dave on skillsworkshop.org Page 3 of 5

4 D. What are your views on this article? Use the space below to write several paragraphs giving your views. December Kindly contributed by Dave Norgate, Bromley Adult Education College. Search for Dave on skillsworkshop.org Page 4 of 5

5 A. Read the text and then answer the questions 1. Via an app on iphone 2. 30% 3. As only those with an iphone could participate 4. When exercising, having a conversation or making love. 5. No still not proven 6. When given less demanding tasks 7. Harvard B. Look at the words in the text that are in bold. They are listed on the left below. Now match them with a word on the right that can replace them in the text. For example random can be replaced by arbitrary distracted predictor insight pervaded ubiquitous sidetracked indication forecast saturated seemingly everywhere C. There are 5 spelling mistakes in the text. Underline the mistakes and then correct them below. participents should be participants activaties should be activities degre should be degree excelent should be excellent laborotory should be laboratory December Kindly contributed by Dave Norgate, Bromley Adult Education College. Search for Dave on skillsworkshop.org Page 5 of 5 Rt/L2.1-L2.4 (comprehension, specific detail, identify points of view). Ww/L2.1 (spelling). Rw/L2.3 (vocabulary, synonyms). Wt/L ( writing).